A Birthday Gift
by Kristen3
Summary: Niles' plan to surprise Daphne for her birthday is foiled by David. But some things are more important than material gifts. One-shot.


Niles slipped into his study, grateful that Daphne wasn't around. He'd just come from the jewelry store after picking up the most beautiful necklace he'd ever seen. Daphne's birthday was still three days away, which meant he had to put the box somewhere safe until then. He knew their room was out of the question. She might easily stumble on it while cleaning. But she rarely came in here.

He went to the bookcase behind his desk, pulled out a book, put the box in, and replaced the book. _There_ , he thought. _You can't even see it's there_. But his heart stopped when he turned around. There stood three-year-old David, already in his pajamas. "You can't tell Mommy what you saw me doing, all right? It's a secret." He walked over to where David stood, making a "sh," gesture to emphasize the point.

"OK, Daddy." But David grinned, making Niles remember that he had Moon genes, along with the DNA from his side of the family. Before Niles could stop him, the boy took off down the hall.

Niles quickly followed. _This can't be happening_ , he thought. He'd planned to surprise her. It was going to be perfect.

"Daddy hid something in his office!" David shouted as soon as he reached the living room where Daphne was straightening up.

"No, David! I said _,_ DON'T tell Mommy!"

David's only response was to giggle. Suddenly, Niles understood. His son had thought they were playing a game. It was hard to be angry with the boy. But that didn't change the fact that his surprise was ruined.

"Well, I was a bit worried that you might have forgotten me birthday, but I guess you haven't," Daphne teased, coming near him. She kissed him for a long moment.

"I could never forget. I wanted to surprise you, but now I can't. I wanted this gift to be special." Niles hung his head.

"Oh, don't be upset. You've surprised me on every birthday, every anniversary, _and_ Valentine's Day. I can't say 'thank you' enough."

"Well, if I spoil you, it's justified, believe me," Niles replied, touching his forehead to hers.

They stayed like that for a moment in silence, mesmerized by their closeness. The moment was broken by David's small voice. "Daddy?"

Niles had to fight the urge to sigh in frustration. David, of course, was the result of the love he had for Daphne. He could never forget that. "What, son?"

"Can we play some more?"

The way David looked up at him, with his wide eyes, made Niles feel torn. He looked at Daphne questioningly.

"Go ahead," she said. "It's almost his bedtime anyway. Then I can have you all to meself."

Niles felt a thrill at the look in her eyes. "Wait for me upstairs," he said, before taking David's hand in his. They walked up the stairs, quickly arriving at David's room. "Well, what would you like to play?"

David got out a set of Matchbox cars, a recent gift from his grandfather. Niles sat down across from his son and reached for a sportscar. He began making "vroom vroom" noises, until David spoke up.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Mad at you? Why would you think that?" Niles asked, suddenly forgetting all about the car in his hand.

"You said I wasn't supposed to tell Mommy about the secret in your office. You sounded mad."

"No, David, I'm not mad. It's just that, well, sometimes grown-ups like to surprise each other. The box you saw me hiding was a birthday present for your mom. I didn't want her to know about it yet. But it's fine. I can still give it to her."

"Oh," David said, returning his attention to his cars. For a moment, father and son moved their cars around the floor, narrowly avoiding a collision several times. Then David spoke up once again. "You love Mom a lot, huh?"

"Yes," Niles answered immediately. When David was still looking at him, Niles elaborated. "The story of how your mom and I got together is much too complicated for me to tell you now. But I promise, one day, we'll tell you all about it, and you'll understand why I can't miss a chance to tell her how much she means to me."

Just then, Daphne appeared in the doorway. "I think it's about time for someone to go to bed." She gave David a look which meant that the subject wasn't open for negotiation.

David quickly put his cars away, then hopped into bed. Niles and Daphne walked over to him. "Goodnight, son," Niles said, bending down to ruffle David's hair, before kissing his forehead.

"Night, Daddy. Love you." The little boy put his arms around his father's neck.

Now it was Daphne's turn. "Goodnight, David. I love you." She kissed his cheek. Sometimes, it was hard to believe she and Niles actually had a son. It was a miracle beyond anything she'd ever dreamed. Before Daphne could even voice her thought, it became clear that David was already drifting off. Daphne slipped her hand into Niles', leading him back to their room.

When they had reached their bed, Daphne gave Niles a kiss that made the one from earlier seem tame. She knew that whatever Niles had bought her would be lovely, but it was nothing compared to the love he'd been giving her for so many years. That was worth celebrating any day of the year.

 **The End**


End file.
